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7/14/2003 12:20:00 AM | Jared Alessandroni A bit from New York While I have a lot to say about Bush's No Child Left Behind policies, the effect of them is somewhat abstract and distant. What's going on now with Head Start is much more tangible. Bush is pushing a plan to move, in simple terms, most of the money and control of Head Start into the hands of the states, [article, with a new emphasis on education. In fact, this is a worthwhile idea at face value. Children that age - 3 and 4 - are quite capable of developing major language and some numeracy [not math, numeracy - it's deeper, I guess]. Of course, there's a reason why we never tried too hard to teach them this stuff before at this age - trust me, people who tried failed. The reason lies in the simple fact that basic numeracy to an extent and language almost entirely are not and should not be taught. These are things that you learn just by existing in a world with numbers and words. Graphic phonemic representation, letters, according to the same research, doesn't come for years. So, the focus on education at Head Start is funny. But what's actually endangering the students is the idea of giving the states discretion over what happens to the Head Start money. Bush says it won't go to "prison project" or some totally unrelated other goal. He's right - that would be politically impossible. But in these times of budget cuts, the money is likely to go to more general education programs that start at higher grades and encompass a broader - read: including the better-off kids who are getting tax breaks because of it - range of students. And, the money that had been there for those is likely to go to the prison project. At least the money is going to education, right? Well, no. Every child should have a decent education, and towns and states and the Federal Government all need to take responsibility for that. But this program said, well, what about those kids who won't eat anything for breakfast and lunch? Whose parents won't read them bed-time stories and who have no place to feel safe and comfortable? It's one thing to just support the standard system of education, a system that is, of course, by no means standard. But some kids live lives that go beyond the reach of these systems, lives that render that kindergarten, or in states with repugnant educational records like Texas or New Hampshire, not even kindergarten but first grade, useless. If head-start becomes a new textbook for kids from White River and Hanover, the value of which is comparative considering how little money is actually dedicated to the program, and if those children lose even that, they are doomed even more than they already are, to failure. This is one of those issues that no one seems to notice. And while we've already fought a war based on chimerical weapons and threats, and while the rich are already starting to wet themselves [ourselves] over how much more extra money they'll end up with over the next few years because of tax cuts, the dismantling of Head Start is getting no attention but could prove to be one of the most destructive things George has done in office. perma link |
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